# NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 3.17.3 — Supply Chain Requirements and Processes - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-17-3-supply-chain-requirements-and-processes - Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 Requirements](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3) › Supply Chain Risk Management — §3.17 - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3**·Requirement `3.17.3`·high·Component: **System and Services Acquisition** ## What this control requires > This control requires establishing a process for identifying and addressing weaknesses in the supply chain and enforcing security requirements to protect against supply chain risks. It aims to limit the harm or consequences from events that impact the system, system components, or services, including vulnerabilities in hardware, software, firmware, and system development processes. This control supports the Supply Chain Risk Management capability within the System and Services Acquisition (3.17) family. > > — NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3, Requirement 3.17.3 ### In plain English This control requires establishing a process for identifying and addressing weaknesses in the supply chain and enforcing security requirements to protect against supply chain risks. In practice, this means you can prove you impact management-level controls on a defined cadence. ## Why it matters DoD contractors and their subcontractors must implement all 100 SP 800-171 requirements to keep CUI handling contracts. Gaps are scored against the SPRS scoring methodology; below a 110-point starting score, each unmet requirement deducts points and a below-threshold score can disqualify a bid. This control is rated **high**. Auditors expect a named owner, a remediation SLA, and a tooling artefact that evidences continuous operation. ## What an auditor looks for A C3PAO conducting a CMMC Level 2 assessment uses NIST SP 800-171A objectives. They expect a System Security Plan (SSP), Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) for any gaps, and objective evidence (configurations, ticket records, training records) for every requirement. Within **System and Services Acquisition**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Requirement 3.17.3) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles. ## How to implement #### Policy Management **Docs.** Keep each policy in version-controlled Markdown alongside the code that implements it; ship a signed PDF snapshot at each annual review and link the SHA into the SoA. #### Secure Development **Pipeline.** Require code review, SAST (Semgrep / Snyk Code), SCA (Dependabot / Renovate), secret-scanning and IaC scanning in the merge pipeline. **Branch protection.** Protected branches enforce reviews, signed commits and passing CI before merge; document the protection rules as the control evidence. #### Vulnerability Management **Scanners.** Pair an unauthenticated scanner (Nessus / Qualys / Tenable.io) for external surface with an authenticated agent for OS/library CVEs on every host. **SLA.** Document remediation SLAs by CVSS / EPSS: critical 7 days, high 30 days, medium 90 days; report monthly trend to leadership. **Containers.** Scan images in CI (Trivy / Grype / Snyk Container) AND at runtime; block deploys on critical findings without exception. ### Operational checklist - **Impact.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **System.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Risk.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Security.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Policy.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** management, software, hardware, firmware, security, system components, development, acquisition. ## Evidence to collect - **Policy Document.** A signed and version-controlled policy / standard / procedure document. Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Supply Chain Requirements and Processes. ## Common pitfalls - Policies that no engineer has read; the version in Confluence drifts from the version that's actually being enforced. - CI security checks set to warn-only; the merge button is faster than the security feedback. - Scans that hit only the perimeter; missing authenticated scans of OS, runtime libs and base images so most CVEs are invisible. ## How it maps to other frameworks Computed from shared tags, control component and key-operation subjects — handy when you are reconciling controls across an audit. - [**NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 SA-19(4)** — Anti-Counterfeit Scanning](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sa-19-4-anti-counterfeit-scanning) - [**ISO/IEC 27001:2022 A.8.25** — Secure development life cycle](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-8-25-secure-development-life-cycle) - [**BSI C5:2020 DEV-01** — Policies for the development/procurement of information systems](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/dev-01-policies-for-the-development-procurement-of-information-systems) ## Related controls in NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 - [**Requirement 3.17.2** — Acquisition Strategies, Tools, and Methods](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-17-2-acquisition-strategies-tools-and-methods) - [**Requirement 3.13.2** — Recategorized as NCO](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-13-2-recategorized-as-nco) - [**Requirement 3.16.2** — Unsupported System Components](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-16-2-unsupported-system-components) - [**Requirement 3.4.1** — Baseline Configuration](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-4-1-baseline-configuration) - [**Requirement 3.4.10** — System Component Inventory](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-4-10-system-component-inventory) - [**Requirement 3.16.1** — Security Engineering Principles](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-16-1-security-engineering-principles) ## References - [NIST Computer Security Resource Center — NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/171/r3/final) - Catalogue identifier: `Requirement 3.17.3` Topics: governance riskpolicy managementsecure developmentsupply chain securityvulnerability management ## Related compliance guidance - [NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC: a practical guide to protecting CUI in the cloud](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3): Start with the full NIST SP 800-171 implementation guide — scope, roadmap, evidence and how the assessment runs. - [NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: a practical implementation guide for cloud teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5): The catalogue 800-171 is tailored from, and the basis of the FedRAMP Moderate baseline your cloud providers must meet for CUI. - [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): If commercial customers ask for a certificate as well, most 800-171 controls can be evidenced once and mapped to Annex A.